


Moonshine and Stardust

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Formalwear, Illustrated, Improper Tableside Manners, John Receives Terrible Advice, Royalty, Sexy Dancing, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-18
Updated: 2015-05-18
Packaged: 2018-03-31 02:43:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3961453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John wakes up on the golden moon of Prospit to find himself in a day of celebrations, all accompanied by the most beautiful girl he's ever seen: his best friend in the whole world: Jade Harley.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moonshine and Stardust

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RoeOcean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoeOcean/gifts).



> originally this was supposed to have more images accompanying it but my tablet broke. Apologies!

You wake up to an unfamiliar pressure on your chest - unfamiliar, and warm?

The last thing you remember was . . . not much. You fell asleep - you think! You certainly laid down on your bed for a quick few seconds of shut eye after a particularly taxing scuffle with some imps.

Which means you are still on your bed, outside, on the roof, unguarded save for Rose Lalonde and her notoriously unreliable link to the interwebz. Statistically speaking that means that either nanna is having a bit of fun at your expense and you’re about to open your eyes to some well-placed blue phlegm, or oh god there’s an imp sitting on you _right now_ isn’t there?

“Augh!” You shout and try to jump up, out of the bed, into anything resembling a fighting stance, but the weight is unrelenting and as you snap open your eyes you only manage to toss both you and your attacker (prankster? hopefully.) onto the floor.

The first thing you notice is that you are very much not on your roof. Taking an educated guess, being a person who has seen a bedroom or two in his life, you put together the fact that you are currently straddling someone on the floor of a bedroom.

Said someone just happens to be a girl. Haha, wow, shit.

“JOHN!” She yowls and pulls you down to be crushed against her (someone prominent - shit, shit, _shit_ ) chest. You are most definitely still straddling her at this point.

“ . . . Jade?” Because it’s not Rose and it’s definitely not Dave and you only know approx. 3 people and a few angry internet trolls.

“Joooooohnnn!” she giggles, right into your face, warm and fresh and _right there_. “You’re awake!”

* * * * 

“So you just . . . watch me sleep?” You ask as she leads you down yet another identical yellow hallway. She assures you this is the right one, though - it’s a completely different shade of lemon! Duh John!

“Mhm! You’re such a cute sleeper,” another left turn into another corridor. “You curl up like a puppy. It was getting boring here all alone, though.”

“Here being Prospit? A . . . dream moon, or something? Right?”

“Yes! Exactly!”

“Okay but . . . what exactly does that mean? I feel like I am totally missing a big thing.”

“Uhh . . .” she falters in her step for a minute, backtracking to a door you barely even noticed. “It’s all pretty straightforward basically! I’ve been dreaming here for years, it’s a really great place. There’s a Prospit - and a Derse, where Dave and Rose would be - in every session. And the people who play, like us, we get to be royalty! Like princes, and princesses!”

“Okay cool, yes that is a perfectly normal and straightforward thing to be happening! I accept my status as space prince of shiny moon castle.” You roll your eyes but she grabs you by the wrist and laughs.

“I know you’re joking but honestly, how does this make any less sense than anything else that’s been happening so far? You better not sass the Queen! She’s soo nice, John!” And before you know it you’re being shoved into the world’s (medium’s?) largest walk-in closet.

Actually, it’s more of a walk-out closet. You feel like this closet is some sort of holy, all encompassing tomb of fabric, and anything that exist outside of these hallowed walls is lesser. You stare slack-jawed at the shelves upon stacks upon draws upon closets filled bursting with garments of every imaginable size, cut, and color.

Except, for some reason, purple, which you decide not to dwell on.

“Holy crap this is a lot of clothes!”

“I know, right?” Jade says as she flings open a particularly grand armoire a few yards ahead of you. “It’s kind of TOO much to be honest. I think I am just gonna try to find something that fits and call it good.”

“Wait, we get to wear these!?”

“No, John, I just brought you here into this big closet full of fancy stuff to have a casual conversation!”

You stick your tongue out at her and she bounds forward to shove it back in with a short poke.

“The White Queen is having a dinner and gala in your honor - everyone is so thrilled that the sleeping prince has finally woken up! So we have to dress all fancy. I am pretty excited but I wish I could just stay in my dream jammies! They’re SO comfy.”

“Almost tragically comfy. I feel like I could sleep for ANOTHER 13 years in these things!” You agree. “But still, dressing fancy is kinda fun, right? I mean it makes me feel cool and important at least.”

“Well!” she shouts, tossing you a garment bag, “best start looking for something in your size, then!”

* * * *

You finally settle on a simple black suit. It’s classy, you think. Sleek and silky, just the right size, with a shimmering gold bowtie and buttons and cufflinks to match. You keep your blue shoes on, though. They totally add just the right little splash of color to the seemingly neverending yellow palace.

As good as you look, Jade takes the cake. Jade takes every cake, including the like, seventeen of them you were forced to eat earlier (was it really only-) this morning.

Her dress is a sunrise in its own right. It sweeps gracefully up from the floor in deep ochre waves, sprinkled generously with shining specks of glitter, like galaxies. As you let your eyes trail - perhaps a bit too leisurely - up her legs, the dress shifts into a lemony yellow on par with that of the castle walls. You can’t help but notice the dress ties draping untethered across the plane of her back. You can’t help but notice her hands pressed up against her breasts, holding the fabric in place. You can’t help but notice the glimmering green of her eyes (monolid - like yours), the thickness of her lashes, the sheen of her lips as they move and -

“-John! Can you hear me?”

“What! Shit, oh, yeah, sorry. Still kind of tired, I guess!”

“Well? Will you tie this for me, or are you taking another stroll up in Skaia’s clouds?” She dips her head in the direction of the dress.

“Oh, sure!”

She turns around and with the swoop of her rather significant amount of hair you get a hint of something aromatic. Like spring rain, or fresh grass.

You’re beginning to get just the teensiest bit intimidated . . .

You do your best to avoid touching her - your father didn’t raise you to be anything but a gentleman, of course - but you can’t stop the occasional brushing of your hand against the skin of her back, nor the quickening of your heart that comes with it. You sweep her hair over her shoulder, out of the way, maybe letting your fingers comb through it the slightest bit more than necessary, but no harm, no foul. You’re good with your hand thanks to years of kitchen experience and piano playing but right now the damn things won’t cooperate, fumbling their way around the ribbons on her dress for a good minute or two before finally managing to shape them into some semblance of a bow.

“Thank you!” She chirps. “Okay, we should probably get to the ballroom for lessons, so we don’t look like a couple of idiots later tonight. I don’t know how to dance _at all!”_

Oh goodness.

* * * *

Prospit’s grand ballroom is exactly as spectacular as the rest of the castle, if not more so. It rests at the top of one of the larger buildings - a perfectly circular room surrounded by tall rectangular windows that pinch into domes at the top, letting Skaia’s light drench the floor. In the center, a brilliant design of a sun surrounded by curling wavy designs decorates the dance hall. Lines of trapezoidal gold marbling stretch out from every direction. You find yourself staring more at your reflection on the shining stone than at anything else, the slightly distorted and tinted image of you and Jade strangely dreamy and enticing.

A strange white person - not like, you know, Ellen Degeneres white, but like a spooky ghost white - dressed in official looking garb awaits you. Presumably to dish out some sweet dance moves to woo whatever passes for diplomats on a fake moon filled with chess people that is part of a videogame. You’re almost surprised when she begins speaking, but duh, it wouldn’t make sense to have npcs you couldn’t talk to.

Before long you’re getting a bit of the hang of what she’s trying to teach you! The moves are simple, mostly swaying back and forth, a few steps and spins every now and then, but even that leaves you dizzy with giddiness.

You feel like you can feel, well, _everything._ As the two of you move from position to position your hands follow suit, bracing against each other tightly and intimately. The fabric of her dress shifts against your palms and every now and then you feel an invigorating brush of skin. She’s beautiful. She’s enchanting, and enthusiastic and just alive in a way you don’t really remember seeing from anyone else.

You wouldn’t say she’s _graceful_ ; she moves less like a dancer and more like a firework, shooting aside in bursts of energy and joy. She’s more passionate than anything else. You can’t take your eyes off her, and she stares back at you just as intently.

“I didn’t know you could dance, John!” She pants to you between giggling breaths, and wow, this is sort of tiring now that you’re hearing the strain in her voice.

You must have been going at it for awhile now.

“Haha, I can’t, not really! This is sort of my first time trying.” You answer.

“Well, Mr. Egbert, you are certainly very graceful!” and you can’t stop the slight blush from creeping across your face. You don’t often get complimented by pretty girls. “I bet you could be a great dancer with some more practice.”

“Maybe! I bet if i was a professional dancer I could do something like -” and in a fit of confidence you wrap your arms tightly around her waist and pick her completely off the floor. It’s no small accomplishment, taking into account the few inches you have on her. You spin her around in a tight circle and her dress billows out like a comet’s train as you do. Her earlier giggling only increases exponentially, bubbling out of her in short bursts. She grips at your collar, and tangles the other hand in your hair, looking for some purchase so she doesn’t slip.

Unfortunately you get the tiniest bit dizzy and tumble helplessly to the ground, falling straight on your back and sending your glasses careening somewhere on the floor.

“Oof!”

“OMG! Are you okay?” She asks.

All you can do is bury your face in your hands and just laugh at yourself.

“Yeah, I’m just fine! Sorry for dropping you.” But it least it wasn’t her who landed on the ground. Instead, in a direct contrast to your earlier situation, she’s sprawled on top of you. Her hands plant firmly on your chest, and you’re sure she can feel your heart hammering all the way up to her elbows. One of her legs rest on either side of your hips, covered half way by the way her skirt is tenting over your laps. She shifts a bit, changing her position to something more comfortable but making no obvious attempt to get up.

The fabric sliding against your pants feels a bit different than her dress does. It must be - oh, god. You’re glad you’ve got your face covered because the heat coming from your cheeks could cook an egg.

You try to force down the dull warmth beginning to spread its way through your body. This is seriously rude, damn it!!

You are pretty sure Jade isn’t thinking about how sexy _you_ look in your fancy moon clothes.

At least, you’re sure until you slide down your hand enough to uncover your eyes and actually get a decent look at her. She’s having trouble meeting your gaze, now, a slight flush on her cheeks as well. Probably from exertion, you tell yourself, but the way her buck teeth are worrying her lip suggest something otherwise.

She laughs again, and settles herself flush against your chest. Faces dangerously close, her hair tickling at your ears like feathers. This, you tell yourself, is a really bad time to be getting a boner. But you think you are. Kind of. Maybe a little. You franticly glance around for your prospitian instructor because despite the relative chastity of the situation you don’t really want anyone to be seeing you and Jade like that. She’s nowhere to be seen - it takes you a minute to realize she’d earlier left to begin preparing the celebratory feast, assuring the two of you you’d be fine left to your own devices.

Jade leans in even closer and plants a soft peck right on your cheek, light as air, and as gentle as a cloud. It drives you crazy.

“I’m really glad you’re awake.” She whispers into your ear and your heart beats even faster, god, she must be feeling the beginning of your semi pressing up against her by now, there’s no way she can’t.

You want to die. You want to thread your fingers through that silky dark hair. You want to kiss her face and her neck and the small dip of her back that disappears into her dress.

“I’m glad too! I can’t believe that . . . you’re really here, and I get to see you. In person and everything!”

You almost wish this situation was _more_ awkward than it was, so you’d have a legitimate reason to abscond, but here’s a frustrating comfort to the way she so easily rests against you. Your bodies slot into each other like puzzle pieces.

There’s a few easy moments of silence as the two of you just rest against each other and breath. You assume that’s all there will be. And then, you feel it. She cants her hips softly, just enough for you to know it was intentional, but with a certain sort of shyness to it that leaves your head spinning. Your most recent breath cuts off with surprise. She does it again. And once more. Building her confidence.

“Jade . . .” you let out uneasily, because did that just happen? Is this really _happening_?

“I’m sorry, I just thought-” she interrupts her thought to push herself back to a sitting position, eyes flicking away from yours for a moment. “. . . Is this okay?”

“Yeah,” you swallow hard. “This is definitely okay.” And surprising even yourself you manage to reach up and cup her cheek softly, skin against skin once more, and you guide her down just the tiniest bit while you prop yourself up, meeting her halfway.

There are mere centimeters between you now, and her breath mingles hotly and heavily with yours in the crisp cool of the ballroom. You can feel her natural body heat now, your lips barely a hair’s breadth from touching, and all you can think is yes!

The medium, however, has a different fate in mind from you. Just as you’re about to close the gap, the door swings open with the creak of old architecture and another prospitian castle servant walks in. You and Jade instinctually scramble back on to your feet, picking up your glasses and trying to will the flush off your faces.

The servant tells you it's time to get ready for dinner.

You ask where you need to be and when.

She tells you. You say okay and before you know it, your feet are already carrying you off in some unknown direction, the earlier moment completely dissipated. You don’t need to turn around to know that Jade is looking at you, but you just leave her call of “John?” echoing in the empty room behind you.

* * * *

TG: okay well i am abso fucking lutely failing to see any problems with this situation  
TG: youre into it  
TG: shes into it  
TG: sounds like you just need to get back up there get on one knee or whatever  
TG: offer her a key to your dream tower room whatever in a velvet lined box and ask her if shes dtf  
TG: and then shell cry and itll be beautiful and you two will have adorable little buck teethed children and live together happily ever after the end  
EB: dave!!!  
TG: what  
EB: that is all terrible advice.  
TG: okay well if you didnt want my advice then why did you bother pestering me  
TG: were you just like  
TG: damn you know what i am having one heck of a dilemma right now you know whod be great at solving that  
TG: my good friend dave strider who is both the smartest and most attractive dude i know  
TG: fire of my loins and keeper of my heart please advise me on my boner problem because lil john is making an impromptu appearance at the venue in my pants  
EB: yes dave you are definitely the smartest and most handsomest dude i know  
EB: (that was sarcasm btw!!)  
TG: oh shit my ego has been irreparably wounded by those sicknasty taunts youre spitting  
TG: welcome to burnsville population: me and johns the mayor  
TG: anyway seriously bro i know youre just trying to get me off topic but not this time  
TG: we are down for the count we are waist deep in the mud of your emotional issues  
TG: were fuckin up to our necks in john egberts boner  
TG: so  
TG: what are you gonna do  
EB: i dont KNOW!!!!!  
EB: ugh this is so dumb.  
EB: we totally almost kissed but then we got interrupted and i ran away and now in like 20 minutes we have to go have this big fancy dinner with a bunch of important moon people.  
EB: and then we have to dance in front of EVERYBODY!  
TG: okay well then just do that  
TG: and see where it goes  
EB: this is useless im gonna go bother rose.  
EB: you are totally the worst at giving advice to your bro about is ladyproblems!!!!!!!  
EB: the WORST.  
EB: lets hope shes not asleep :/  
TG: she is  
TG: but shes awake  
EB: ?  
TG: shes here rn with me on derse shes been reading over this whole convo  
EB: omg  
EB: whatever happened to confidentiality!  
TG: im not a shrink  
TG: besides you were totally gonna tell her anyway  
EB: that is not the point! >:P  
TG: dont you >:P at me you son of a bitch  
EB: >:P >:P >:P >:P >:P >:P >:P  
TG: oh fuck no the gloves are coming off elts ffjkdlsj kflsdjafdsaijbhnjmkkllllllll ll llllllll  
EB: dave are you okay!?  
EB: please tell me you werent attacked by some creepy moon monster from derse i would feel really bad.  
TG: Yes, he was attacked by a moon monster, but lucky for him I’m a benign enough beast to harm neither hide nor hair on him or his possessions.  
EB: roooooooooose!  
TG: Who is this Roooooooose you speak of?  
TG: I assure you I, as a terror from beyond the veil sent to wreak minor havoc upon the Dersite prince, I have never heard of such a being.  
TG: No matter how legendary her beauty and wisdom are amongst my kind.  
EB: yes, yes, i get it, you’re smart and pretty and weird blah blah blah!  
EB: i just had to go through this with dave can we cut to the chase?  
TG: Rude, much.  
TG: Here I am offering you not only my time but my friendship, extending the olive branch of girl-talk to you to remedy your tragic boner catastrophe, and I am naught but rebuked in return?  
TG: Oh woe, woe! Woe is he who would shirk the kinship of his peers just to pursue love’s all encompassing fate.  
EB: i am not in love with jade!  
TG: You better be if you’re gonna stick it in her, John. I won’t have you using her like that.  
EB: I AM NOT GOING TO HAVE SEX WITH JADE!  
EB: at least, probably not.  
EB: and definitely not right now.  
EB: one, i literally just turned 13 and am still pretty much 12 so that seems kind of.  
EB: adult, for me.  
EB: two we are kind of in the middle of a magic game to save the world?  
EB: this seems like not the best opportunity to be knocking boots with my internet friends.  
TG: I assure you, It’s as appropriate an opportunity as ever.  
TG: Dave and I have been entertaining each other quite successfully.  
EB: eww!!!  
EB: you guys arent actually banging are you because it would be a little weird if you were talking to me while doing that  
TG: Maybe we are, perhaps we arent.  
TG: We’ll simply have to meet up, the four of us, to allow any - for lack of a better term - ‘interpersonal relations’ to manifest and come to light properly.  
EB: are you hitting on me and jade?  
TG: Yes.  
EB: um.  
TG: Hold on just a moment, Dave is trying to retrieve custody of his phoooooooninnejfknjksfjk l fjdsaaaaaaaa jfkdlsjfk l l x  
TG: ] ]] ]] ]] ]]  
TG: what rose is TRYING to say but cant get out of her flowery purple trap with enough time left to prepare is  
TG: were gonna be at your fancy moon party too  
TG: double wingmanning it  
TG: the executive decision has already been made with executive realness  
TG: strilonde style  
TG: someone is getting they mack on tonight  
TG: dont care who dont care where dont care why  
TG: its happening  
EB: omg why are you so intent on this  
TG: duh because how often do you get to meet your internet friends in real life  
TG: especially jade who lives in monkey island or whatever  
TG: might as well take full advantage of the fruits of life yo  
EB: this conversation has been so pointless.  
TG: <3  
EB: i will see you guys later okay?  
EB: <3 <3 one of those is for rose dont get too full of yourself.  
TG: already am, honeykins <3  
EB: youre gross!!!!!!  
TG: bye  
TG: Goodbye, John!  
TG: See you soon.

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB]\--

You sit for a moment to gather your wits about you. Dinner would be beginning shortly, then, after that, the ball would start, and you’d be face to face with Jade. and Dave. And Rose. And you’d be expected to act composed and put together!! This is a little bit overwhelming.

Okay, John! Get it together!!!! You can do this!

You head off to find a bathroom even though you’re not really sure if there _is_ a bathroom in here but you’ll be damned if you don’t find some sort of mirror. A fashion faux pas on top of everything else today would be absolutely unbearable.

* * * *

On one end of the long and elegantly carved table sits the queen. On another, the White King himself. On the queen’s left and right, at the face of the table perpendicular to the two monarchs, you and Jade sit across from each other, both of you not quite knowing what level of eye contact is appropriate. You settle for almost none, save for the moments when your fleeting glances happen to interlock. The occasions leave you both flustered and giggling, staring into the un-nameable pile of food on your plate. Her hair halos darkly around her face, a few strands sticking to her lips or trailing in her dinner. It’s adorable.

Sadly, you don’t get much time to talk to her at dinner. She and the queen make bright, eager conversation about the state of Prospit and its citizens, while you, the token ignoramus, make cookiecutter smalltalk with the assortment of nobles important enough to be seated near the royalty.

It takes you a moment to realize that includes you.

It’s not unpleasant by any means, not at all; it’s simply BORING. You honestly don’t understand why you should care about the increasing amount of arable land within Prospitian territory on Skaia’s battlefield, or about the new and improved efficiency of Prospit’s ectobiolololblahblahblahwhatever something or other. You honestly aren’t paying a huge amount of attention, to be quite frank.

You settle for courting Jade with an admittedly childish game of footsie, drawing first blood with a well placed kick that sends one of her shoes skittering across the floor. She sticks her tongue out at you as she sinks lower into her chair, prodding at the ground to locate the missing footwear. All you do is give her what you hope is an obnoxiously smarmy wink. It’s that showmanship that lets her catch you off guard. With the efficiency of a high end sniper rifle, she uses her spoon to launch something resembling a purple snap pea right between your eyes. You let out an embarrassing squeak and oh it is _on_!

Things probably would have progressed very improperly if the queen hadn’t told you that the Dersite guests would be arriving soon, and it would be gracious of you to welcome them. You don’t waste a minute hopping out of your chair to sprint through Prospit’s grandiose halls down to the dock near the chain. Jade’s got longer legs than you so she takes point, but the chambers are deserted and the sound of her shoes on the tile makes her easy enough to track down.

You let your eyes wander through the castle as you run, tracing along the fanciful ribbing on the ceiling or trailing the pattern of undoubtedly significant, but unfamiliar symbols on the wainscoting. The moon isn’t in the position where it overlaps with Skaia’s cloud so through the windows you see nothing but the glittering city of gold, and beyond that, the void.

There’s something almost overwhelming about just how much _nothing_ there is out there. You think of your father who you haven’t seen in hours. You think of the meteors, pummeling the planet into dust as you and your friends desperately try to make it to safely. You hear Jade’s footsteps clattering on beyond you, and you give yourself a burst of speed to catch up with her.

She’s standing on the edge of an open window easily twice your height, and almost as long, the strange coolness of Prospit’s not-quite-room-temperature air tickling gently against your skin. It’s tantalizing. In the distance, the chain just disorientingly from it’s monstrous welding point. You turn to look at Jade and she stares at you expectantly.

“Are you coming?” A soft smile, all teeth and sunshine. An outstretched hand.

For the nth time that day your fingers mesh against each other. She steps off the ledge.

Your heart and stomach plummet into your toes as you’re yanked across the threshold with her but you’re flying, you’re _flying, you’re flying_ and suddenly everything inside you is too light, and you just laugh and laugh and laugh as she guides you off into the night.

* * * *

You’re flying.

You’re spinning across the dancefloor like a top and the only lights in the room are on you and her, and her skirt flares out around you both like a cloud. Warmth spreads out from your core and soon every part of you is on fire and it feels like last new years, when your father let you sip a glass of champagne or two as the ball dropped, leaving you light and giddy. Your skin feels taut around your body and your breath is happily ragged. Instantly, you find your mind transported. You’re younger, but not by much, laying in your bed in the quiet of the night and touching yourself, frantically but still with a caution you don’t reserve for much else.

Tongue shoved up against the backs of your teeth, palms sweaty, heart hammering, this is just like that.

You think you might have a big of a thing for formal wear too, because seeing Dave and Rose dolled up among the sea of black and white and gold, seeing Jade, seeing yourself in the reflections of the marble floor, it’s getting to you. It’s almost too much, seeing them all so beautiful. It’s like you’re a wind up toy and someone’s twisting your key long past where it should go.

You feel like you’re about to burst. You feel your arousal building.

The music feels familiar but you don’t recognize the tune, you don’t try, either. Somewhere along the line it blends into the buzz of the crowd. The hums and murmurs of voices. The clicking of carapacian joints and the rustle of fabric. The strange, loud silence coming from the Nothing beyond the castle. It weaves together like a tapestry. Yourself, a single blue thread in the center.

“We are TOTALLY killing it right now!” She grins at you.

“Completely. I am honestly really embarrassed for everyone else because they have to go after us.”

“Mhm!”

And as the music slows down, so do you. Your bodies press closer and the feel of her breasts against your body only serves to exacerbate the building heat within you, bringing you closer to a boil with every second. The decreased speed brings with it a certain brand of intensity.

You close your eyes but your image of Jade, beaming at you and sparkled with sweat stays burned into the back of your eyelids. In your mind, you pan down and instead of her Prospitian ball gown there’s only her soft, tanned skin. Her hands are exploring your body and you feel yourself buck and tremble under her. She bows her head and wraps her lips around you and you swear you can feel it even though it’s not real, none of this is real.  
“But it could be.” Echoes a voice in your head that isn’t Jade. It’s Rose. Deeper, more melodious. She weaves her hand through Jade’s hair and pushes the other girl’s head farther down and you can’t take it god, god, _god it’s too much_ but then suddenly someone’s hand is gripping yours, dragging you back down. It’s pale, unnaturally so. Dave. His thumb strokes over your knuckles and tendons while the girls work on you and -

An unmistakable crescendo, a slamming of cymbals, drags you back to the dancefloor.

You know this means the song is ending soon.

You’re not sure what you’re going to do when it’s over and you have to go back to the real world. You’re not sure if there’s a real world to go back to.

But life goes on and so do you, and as the music eases into its final note you will your boner to calm the fuck down and try to force the blush off of your face. With your spell broken, the Prospitian nobles and select few Dersite ambassadors begin splitting off into pairs, trios, or groups, spiraling to the music of the next song that plays.

After you and Jade part it’s not long before you find your hands being guided onto another set of hips, hear another voice soft and sweet and scathing in your ear. Rose. Rose, your beautiful Rose.

“May I have this Dance, your majesty?”

* * * *

Without any clocks or the passage of the sun to tell you, you can’t fathom the amount of time that passed between the beginning of the gala and your farewells to Dave and Rose, but whatever amount of time it took it was too long. Too damn long!

But now, here you are with Jade’s hand around your wrist yet again, dragging you back to the towers where your rooms lie because you don’t know the way.

“Phew! I’m so beat!” she yawns. “It’ll be nice to get some quick shut eye before we go back to questing. I’m excited to spend some more time on LOFAF though.”

“Yeah . . .” you say.

She leads you into your room and the bluegold sheen of the wallpaper is comforting in a strange way. You don’t feel very tired. You’re not sure you could sleep. The two of you sit down on the bed and she wraps you in a tight hug. She smells like sweat and food and leaves.

“Goodnight John!”

“Night, Jade!”

She begins to untie the knots holding up her dress as you lie back on to the pillow, and the last thing you see as you walk out of the room is her bare back, broad and toned from years of island living. Her dress pools around her ankles and she strips out of it fully, slinging it over her shoulder and stepping onto the transportalizer to her own room in nothing but a pair of green panties. You close your eyes for a second and try to process what you just saw.

You open them.

You see a bright blue spirograph and all is quiet but the howling of the wind.

**Author's Note:**

> I snuck in perhaps a bit more OT4 than you originally tended. Forgive me, it was far too tempting.


End file.
